Oat and raisin cookies

Things are seriously slowing down here at Cupcakes and Couscous HQ as we prepare to welcome our newest little cupcake to the family! And I think we are as ready as we will ever be – after a frantic last minute dash the nursery has been prepared, the baby clothes have been washed and sorted and my hospital bag is ready and waiting. Those who know me well will tell you that baking is one of my favourite things to do, and so while we count down the last few days until d-day I have managed fit in some baking time… and another recipe for you, hooray!

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Honeycomb cheesecake frozen yoghurt (with video)

“Ooh, cheesecake, munching on a cheesecake, munching on a cheesecake. Cheesecake!
Cheesecake, munching on a cheesecake, munching on a cheesecake. Cheesecake!
Cheesecake, gobble gobble cheesecake, gobble gobble cheesecake. Cheesecake!
Cheesecake, gobble gobble cheesecake, crazy over cheesecake. Cheesecake!”

Louis Armstrong, lyrics to “Cheesecake” 1966.

A dessert so fantastic there is even a song about it, and deservedly so. Good on ya, Louis! Today’s recipe is inspired by cheesecake, but in a slightly different format….

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Steak sarmies with chunky tomato ginger chutney

Steak sandwich recipe with relish.
Summer is well on its way (hooray!) and we can look forward to plenty of sunshine, outdoor time around the braai and some fresh and summery flavours! Wednesday the 24th of September is National Heritage Day in South Africa and I was inspired to make these easy and delicious steak sarmies topped with homemade tomato and ginger chutney.

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Out & About: Sedgefield and Wild Oats Market

The last few weeks have flown by and I have found myself up to my ears in all sorts of preparation – organising the nursery, stocking up on newborn nappies and cooking extra meals for the freezer. Are you noticing a theme here? Last week though we managed to escape for a long weekend in Sedgefield with the family, just the relaxing, sun-kissed and sand-coated short break we needed! 

One of the places we visited whilst there was the Wild Oats Market, on every Saturday morning. This was my second visit and we arrived on a mission to find breakfast. I was amazed to see how many people were there – considering how quiet the town of Sedgefield seemed! The place was buzzing and there were a large number of stalls selling all kinds of hand made produce. 

The Farmer’s Breakfast stand seemed to be the most popular spot, judging by the long queue (which did move quickly actually!). There was a good selection of food and drinks to choose from, which we enjoyed at one of the tree stump tables with the sounds of classic Elton John in the background, nice. We sampled some very tasty pancakes, an indulgent chocolate waffle, cooked breakfasts and delicious coffees. And in our shopping bag to take home we had a spinach and feta quiche, decadent fudge, Russian sausages and steak pie.


Other products that caught my eye were fresh juices, rusks and biscuits, dried fruit and nuts, fresh flowers and herbs, biltong and preserves. It was lovely to see visitors and members of the community meeting up for a bite to eat or bumping into each other by chance. The market has a very rustic feel and the atmosphere was lively but relaxed. Being a recycling enthusiast I was also impressed to see recycling stations dotted around the market for refuse. 


 
A short walk from the market you will find the Mosaic Outdoor Market, with various crafts and more food on offer. My husband and I picked up two beautiful framed photographs by Keith Moore and I found some excellent deals at a new book stand. Right next door is the Scarab craft market so allow lots of time to peruse the area! 

Just out of interest and completely unrelated to food, if you find yourself in the Plettenberg Bay area near to Sedgefield do visit Birds of Eden and Monkeyland for a chance to get up close and personal with some beautiful creatures. We had a fabulous day visiting the parks, well worth it. 


For more market details you can visit the Wild Oats Market website. The market is open every Saturday morning from 7.30am to 12pm in summer, 8am to 12pm in winter and is situated on the N2 a stones throw from the town of Sedgefield – look out for the big green sign! 

Apple and raisin oaty crumble with vanilla custard

This is a little something I whipped up over the weekend and an absolute classic as I am sure you will agree! There is something very comforting and homely about preparing and eating this particular dessert and I love the heavenly combination of spiced apple, crunchy oat crumble and creamy vanilla custard.

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Orange drizzle cake

Orange drizzle bundt cake on a white cake stand

 

Oranges can be found in abundance at the moment and I love including citrus flavours in my baking. Particularly at the moment as I have been craving all things citrus for the past few months. Sneak a peak in my fruit drawer and you will find it packed with oranges, grapefruit and naartjies, I must have them! The inspiration for this recipe came a few weeks ago when I was at a family celebration. They served a delicious orange cake for dessert and, given my current citrus obsession, I have been looking forward to making one ever since.

 

Mielie bread with sun dried tomatoes (with video)

 

Today’s recipe is going against the current trend somewhat. It seems that every other restaurant I visit has a new banting section on their menu, or is advertising dishes that would make Tim Noakes proud. While I applaud anyone making an effort to eat less sugar and more cauliflower (if you can get your hands on one that is!) I for one will not be cutting out my grains anytime soon. And I am sure that there are many readers out there who feel the same.

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Cookie Swap 4 and chocolate orange sugar hearts

Cookie Swap 4 took place on the 2nd of August, and once again it was a national event that saw cookie lovers from around the country gathering together to exchange treats, socialise and most importantly raise money for Learn to Earn and specifically their Bake For Profit students who are in dire need of more kitchen equipment to assist with their training. Do have a look at the website to see how this fantastic organisation gives people “a hand up, not a hand out”!